Cardiac Perfusion Services, Inc. v. Hughes

380 S.W.3d 198, 2012 WL 3038504, 2012 Tex. App. LEXIS 6134
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedJuly 26, 2012
DocketNo. 05-10-00286-CV
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 380 S.W.3d 198 (Cardiac Perfusion Services, Inc. v. Hughes) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Cardiac Perfusion Services, Inc. v. Hughes, 380 S.W.3d 198, 2012 WL 3038504, 2012 Tex. App. LEXIS 6134 (Tex. Ct. App. 2012).

Opinion

OPINION

Opinion By

Justice LANG-MIERS.

These are cross-appeals from a final judgment rendered after a jury trial in an employment and shareholder dispute involving multiple claims and counterclaims. Appellants and cross-appellees Cardiac Perfusion Services, Inc. (CPS) and Michael Joubran raise six issues on appeal complaining about (1) the court-ordered redemption of appellee Randall Hughes’s minority interest in CPS for fair value, rather than book value, based on a finding of shareholder oppression, (2) the award of prejudgment and postjudgment interest, and (3) the award of attorney’s fees. Ap-[201]*201pellee and cross-appellant Hughes raises one issue on cross-appeal complaining about the trial court’s refusal to render judgment in favor of Hughes on his claim against Joubran for breach of fiduciary duty. We affirm the trial court’s judgment.

Background

■ Joubran and Hughes are cardiac perfu-sionists; they operate heart-lung machines during open-heart surgery. In May 1991, Joubran founded CPS and hired Hughes as his first employee. At CPS’s annual meeting in June 1992, Joubran, as the sole shareholder, voted to offer Hughes 10% of CPS’s total shares issued and outstanding for the purchase price of $25,000. Hughes accepted the offer and bought the shares. In July 1992, Joubran and Hughes entered into a Buy-Sell Agreement. The Buy-Sell Agreement restricted the sale or transfer of any shares of CPS and required the shareholders of CPS to purchase the stock of another shareholder upon “the severance of [that] shareholder’s employment relationship with [CPS],” with the purchase price to be calculated using the book value of the shares as of the fiscal year preceding the termination. A dispute later arose between the parties, and Hughes’s employment with CPS was terminated in August 2006.1

One day after Hughes’s employment was terminated, CPS and Joubran sued Hughes. CPS sought to recover damages from Hughes for breach of fiduciary duty and tortious interference with its contract with Methodist Hospital. Joubran asked the trial court to declare that (1) Joubran’s obligation to purchase Hughes’s stock is governed by the Buy-Sell Agreement, and (2) any amounts owed to Hughes for the purchase of his stock “shall be reduced or offset for any damages which Hughes’[s] conduct has caused CPS.” Hughes counterclaimed against Joubran for “oppressing] Hughes as the minority shareholder.” Among other allegations, Hughes alleged that Joubran “utilized the corporation as his personal vehicle to pursue his own self interests” and “misused funds of [CPS] for his own personal gain.” Hughes also counterclaimed for breach of fiduciary duty and alleged that Joubran had denied him access to CPS’s books and records.

The trial court held a four-day jury trial during which nine witnesses testified. At the conclusion of trial, the jury found in favor of Hughes on CPS’s claims for tor-tious interference with contract and breach of fiduciary duty. With respect to Hughes’s counterclaim against Joubran for shareholder oppression, the jury found that Joubran (1) suppressed payment of profit distributions to Hughes, (2) paid himself excessive compensation from CPS’s corporate funds, (3) improperly paid his family members using CPS funds, (4) used CPS funds to pay his personal expenses, (5) used his control of CPS to lower the value of Hughes’s stock, and (6) refused to let Hughes examine CPS’s books and records. The jury found that the fair value of Hughes’s shares was $300,000. With respect to Hughes’s claim against Joubran for breach of fiduciary duty, the jury essentially found that there was no fiduciary relationship between Hughes and Joubran. The jury went on, however, to answer additional, conditional questions in which they appeared to find that Joubran breached his fiduciary duty to Hughes, and that Hughes was entitled [202]*202to actual and exemplary damages. Based on the jury’s findings, the trial court issued findings of fact and conclusions of law in which the trial court concluded that Joubran engaged in shareholder oppression and that the most equitable remedy was to require Joubran and CPS to redeem Hughes’s shares at what the jury found to be the fair value: $300,000.

In its final judgment, the trial court ordered that CPS and Joubran take nothing on their claims against Hughes, including Joubran’s claims for declaratory judgment. And based on the jury’s finding that there was no fiduciary relationship between Hughes and Joubran, the trial court also ordered that Hughes take nothing on his claim against Joubran for breach of fiduciary duty. Based on the jury’s findings concerning Joubran’s oppressive conduct, the trial court concluded that Joubran engaged in shareholder oppression and that the most equitable remedy was to require Joubran and CPS to redeem Hughes’s shares at what the jury found the fair value to be: $300,000. The trial court also awarded Hughes prejudgment interest, postjudgment interest, and attorney’s fees.

CPS and Joubran’s Appeal

First Issue

In their first issue CPS and Joubran argue that the trial court erred when it ordered them to redeem Hughes’s shares in CPS at “fair value,” rather than at book value, as required under the terms of the Buy-Sell Agreement. Stated differently, CPS and Joubran argue that the trial court “erred by holding that the equitable doctrine of shareholder oppression nullified the [Buy-Sell Agreement].”

Applicable Law

The term “shareholder oppression” is expansive and covers “a multitude of situations dealing with improper conduct.” Davis v. Sheerin, 754 S.W.2d 375, 381 (Tex.App.-Houston [1st Dist.] 1988, writ denied). This Court and other Texas courts have generally recognized two nonexclusive definitions for shareholder oppression:

majority shareholders’ conduct that substantially defeats the minority’s expectations that, objectively viewed, were both reasonable under the circumstances and central to the minority shareholder’s decision to join the venture; or
burdensome, harsh, or wrongful conduct; a lack of probity and fair dealing in the company’s affairs to the prejudice of some members; or a visible departure from the standards of fair dealing and a violation of fair play on which each shareholder is entitled to rely.

See, e.g., Ritchie v. Rupe, 339 S.W.3d 275, 289 (Tex.App.-Dallas 2011, pet. filed). When the facts are in dispute, the jury determines what acts occurred, but the trial court determines whether those acts constitute shareholder oppression and exercises its equitable authority to decide the appropriate remedy. See id. at 285, 289; see also Davis, 754 S.W.2d at 380.

Standard of Review

We review a trial court’s exercise of its equitable authority under an abuse of discretion standard. See Ritchie, 339 S.W.3d at 285. A trial court abuses its discretion when it acts arbitrarily or without reference to any guiding rules and principles. Id. But we review de novo the question of whether the trial court properly concluded that there was shareholder oppression because that conclusion is a legal conclusion. Id. at 289.

Arguments of the Parties

This case was tried and briefed before this Court issued its opinion in Ritchie. [203]*203During oral argument the parties agreed that our decision in

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380 S.W.3d 198, 2012 WL 3038504, 2012 Tex. App. LEXIS 6134, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/cardiac-perfusion-services-inc-v-hughes-texapp-2012.